Estrogenic compounds and animal growth promoters



United States Patent 3,239,357 ESTROGENIC COMPOUNDS AND ANIMAL GROWTH PROMOTERS Edward B. Hodge, Phil H. Hidy, and Herbert L. Wehrmeister, all of Terre Haute, Ind., assignors to Commercial Solvents Corporation, a corporation of Maryland No Drawing. Filed Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,897

16 Claims. (Cl.'992) The present invention relates to new compounds and an object of the present invention is to provide compounds which exhibit estrogenic activity or aid in increasing the rate of growth in meat-producing animals, e.g. cattle, lamb and swine.

A conventional formula for the compounds of the present invention is:

Where A is the radical CH=CH or CH CH R is hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, e.g. lower alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, hexyl, etc., but hydrogen is preferred, and B is an ethylene, 1,2-propylene or trimethylene radical. Compounds having the above formula wherein R is substituted or unsubstituted aryl, e.g. phenyl and bromophenyl; acyl, e.g. acetyl and valeryl; and aralkyl, e.g. benzyl, are also contemplated by the present invention.

The compounds can be administered to animals by any suitable method including oral and parenteral administrations. For example, the compound can be blended with ordinary feed containing nutritional values in an amount sufficient to produce the desired rate of growth and thus be fed directly to the animals, or the compound can be suspended in a suitable injection suspension medium such as peanut oil and injected rparenterally. The amount of compound fed to an animal, of course, varies depending upon the animal, desired rate of growth and the like.

When the new compounds are to be administered in feeds, an animal feed composition may be prepared containing the usual nutritionally-balanced quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, together with a compound of the present invention. Some of these usual dietary elements are grains, such as ground grain and grain by-products; animal protein substances, such as those found in fish meal and meat scraps; vegetable proteins like soybean oil meal or peanut oil meal; vitaminaceous materials, e.g. vitamin A and D mixtures; riboflavin supplements and other vitamin B complex members; and bone meal and limestone to provide minerals. A type of conventional feed material for use with cattle includes alfalfa hay and ground corn cobs together with supplementary vitaminaceous substances if desired.

The compounds of the present invention can be produced from the compound:

hereinafter referred to as the fermentation estrogenic substance (F.E.S.) by reaction with ethylene glycol or a propylene glycol, such as 1,2-propylene glycol and trimethylene glycol, in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid. The reaction is preferably carried out with the F.E.S. suspended or dissolved in a suitable solvent such 3,239,357 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 as benzene. Preferably an excess of glycol is used. The nomenclature used herein is based upon the F.E.S. compound. For example, the compounds of this invention are F.E.S. acetals (i.e. A is CH=CH) or dihydro F.E.S. acetals (i.e. A is CH CH Compounds of this invention where both Rs are alkyl are referred to as dialkyl-, and where one of the Rs is alkyl as monoalkyl-, F.E.S. acetals or dihydro F.E.S. acetals.

Dihydro F.E.S. acetals can be produced by reducing the olefinic bond of F.E.S., for example, by hydrogenation in the presence of a Group VIII metal, particularly platinum or palladium, catalyst supported on a suitable carrier, e.g charcoal, to produce dihydro F.E.S. which can be treated to produce the dihydro F.E.S. acetals of this invention. Generally the hydrogenation catalyst contains from about 0.01 to about 10% of the catalytic metal. The catalyst is used in a ratio of generally between about 0.02 and 2 grams and preferably between about 0.1 to 0.5 gram, particularly 0.2 gram, catalyst per gram of F.E.S. The reduction may be carried out while F.E.S. is suspended in a suitable solvent, e.g. an alcohol, especially a lower alkanol such as 2-propanol, ethanol, methanol, etc. and an acid, e.g. acetic acid, at ambient temperatures or temperatures of, for example, 15 to 40 C., and ambient pressures since only the presence of hydrogen is required. The use of elevated pressure, e.g. from about 1 to atmospheres is, however, preferred.

In producing compounds of the present invention where R is alkyl, conventional alkylation procedures can be used to replace the H atom of one or both of the OH groups on the benzene ring of F.E.S. with an alkyl group. Alkylated F.E.S. acetals can be produced, for example, by first alkylating F.E.S. and then treating it as set forth supra. The al'kylation can be by reaction with the corresponding dialkyl sulfates, e.g. dimethyl sulfate, diethyl sulfate, etc. to produce the dialkyl F.E.S. or a monoalkyl F.E.S. with the alkyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring ortho to the ester group. Furthermore, a monomethyl F.E.S. compound with the methyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group para to the ester group can can be selectively produced using diazomethane.

The fermentation estrogenic substance (F.E.S.) is so named since a convenient method for producing it is by cultivating, on a suitable nutrient medium, the organism Gibberella zeae (Gordon) on deposit t the Northern Utilization Research and Development Division of the United States Department of Agriculture under the number NRRL-2830.

The following examples are offered to illustrate this invention; however, the invention is not limited to the specific materials, amounts, and procedures set forth. The first example illustrates preparation of a suitable inoculum containing the organism Gibberella zeae (Gordon) NRRL-2830.

Example I A spore sand culture containing Gibberella zeae (Gordon) NRRL-2830 was aseptically placed in a sterile tube containing 15 milliliters of Czapeks-Dox solution and a small amount of agar. This medium was then incubated for about 168 hours at approximately 25 C. At the end of the incubation period, the medium was washed with 5 milliliters of sterile deionized water and transferred to a sterile tube containing 45 milliliters of Czapeks-Dox solution. The contents of the tube were then incubated for about 96 hours at about 25 C. after which the material was available for use in inoculation of a fermentation medium.

The following example illustrates the fermentation of 3 the organism Gibberella zeae (Gordon) NRLL-2830 to produce F.E.S.

Example II To a 2 liter flask were added 300 grams of finely divided corn. The flask and its contents were then sterilized and after sterilization 150 milliliters of sterile deionized water were added. To the mixture in the flask were then added 45 milliliters of the inoculum prepared by the process of Example I and the material was thoroughly mixed. The mixed material was then incubated for about 20 days at 25 C. in a dark room in a Water-saturated atmosphere.

The following example illustrates the recovery of F.E.S. from the fermentation medium.

Example III A 300 gram portion of fermented material produced by the method of Example II was placed in 500 milliliters of deionized water and slurried. The slurry was then heated for about 15 minutes at 75 C., 300 grams of filter aid were then added and the material was filtered. The solid filtered material containing the anabolic substance was then air dried, and 333 grams of the dried cake were then extracted with 500 milliliters of ethanol. This procedure was repeated three more times. The ethanol extract was evaporated to dryness under vacuum to give 6.84 grams of solid material. This solid material was then dissolved in 20 milliliters of chloroform and extracted with 30 milliliters of an aqueous solution containing by weight of sodium carbonate having an adjusted pH of about 11.2. The extraction process was repeated seven more times. The pH of the sodium-carbonate extract was then adjusted to 6.2 with hydrochloric acid, to yield an anabolic substance-containing precipitate. The precipitate and the aqueous sodium carbonate extract were then each in turn extracted with 75 milliliters of ethyl ether. This procedure was repeated three more times to yield a light yellow ethereal solution, which was then evaporated to yield 116 milligrams of solid anabolic substance. This material was then subjected to multiple transfer countercurrent distribution using 100 tubes and a solvent system consisting of two parts chloroform and two parts carbon tetrachloride as the lower phase and four parts methanol and one part water as the upper phase, all parts by volume. The solid material obtained from the multiple transfer countercurrent distribution was F.E.S.

The production of F.E.S. acetal is illustrated by the following example.

Example IV To a mixture of 1 gram F.E.S. in 50 milliliters benzene is added 2 grams ethylene glycol in the presence of 1 gram p-toluenesulfonic acid and the mixture is refluxed for 20 hours. The resultant F.E.S. acetal wherein the ketone group of F.E.S. is converted to the radical O-CH OCH9 is recovered from the solution.

Example V The ketone group of F.E.S. is converted to the radical OCI\IZ substituting trimethylene glycol for ethylene glycol in the procedure of Example IV.

The following example illustrates the production of monomethyl and dimethyl F.E.S. acetal, the monomethyl F.E.S. acetal having a methyl group which replaced the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring ortho to the ester group.

4 Example VI Dimethyl sulfate (5 milliliters) was added to a solution of 2.24 grams F.E.S. in 80 milliliters of a 10% NaOH solution plus 20 milliliters of water. The mixture was stirred for one-half hour at 1820 C. (cooling bath) and an additional 5 milliliters of dimethyl sulfate was added. After an additional 70 minutes of stirring at 20- 26 C., the solid precipitate, Solid A, was collected by filtration, washed with water and dried. The filtrate from Solid A was acidified with 25 milliliters 12 N H 80 to yield a second precipitate, Solid B, which was collected, washed with water, and dried.

Solid A (0.79 gram having a melting point of 114- 118 C.) was recrystallized from a mixture of 10 milliliters water and 15 milliliters ethanol to yield 0.66 gram dimethyl F.E.S. having a melting point of l08l10 C.

Solid B (1.39 grams having a melting point of 152- 162 C.) was recrystallized twice from a mixture of water and alcohol to yield 0.8 gram of monomethyl F.E.S. product having a melting point of 169 -l74 C. Analysis of Solid B showed:

Calc. (010112405) Found Percent C 68. 65 67. 97 Percent Hm.-. 7.28 7.16 Percent OMe 9. 34 9. 28

Example VII Two 10 gram portions of F.E.S. each in 200 milliliters acetic acid were catalytically reduced at room temperature in the presence of 1.2 grams PdO catalyst at a hydrogen pressure of about psi. to produce dihydro F.E.S. The combined reduction mixtures were heated to boiling, filtered, and the filter cake was washed with milliliters hot acetic acid. The cooled filtrate was added with stirring to 2 liters water. The mixture was stirred for 15 minutes and the white solid was collected by filtration, washed and dried in a vacuum desiccator to yield 19.1 grams of dihydro F.E.S. having a melting point of 191193 C.

The ketone group of the dihydro F.E.S. is converted to acetal having the structure:

o-oH, \O Hz following the procedure of Example IV to produce the corresponding dihydro F.E.S. acetal.

Example VIII Monomethyl F.E.S. with the methyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring para to the ester group was prepared by the following procedure.

Nitrosomethylurea in an amount of 1.2 grams was slowly added to a cold mixture of 3.6 milliliters of 50% potassium hydroxide and 17 milliliters of ether. After a few minutes the yellow ether layer of the mixture was decanted, dried over potassium hydroxide, and then added to a solution of 0.30 gram F.E.S. in 17 milliliters of ether. The resulting yellow mixture was left overnight Calc. (CmHziO Found Percent; C 68. 7 68.3 Percent H 7. 28 7. 38 Percent OCH 9. 34 9. 17

The ketone group of the methyl F.E.S' is converted to an acetal having the structure:

O-CH2 \O-CH2 following the procedure of Example IV except that 1,2- propylene glycol is used instead of ethylene glycol.

Example IX Six head of cattle are fed a daily ration including a mixture of alfalfa hay and ground corn cobs containing from 1 to 20 ounces of F.E.S. acetal having the formula:

HO O

(II-Is O-GI-I-(CHfls per hundred pounds of ration.

It is claimed: 1.

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl, A is selected from the group consist- 6 ing of the radicals CH=CH and CH CH and B is a radical selected from the group consisting of ethylene, 1,2-propylene, and trimethylene radicals.

2. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is hydrogen and A is CH=CH.

3. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 1. 4. The compound of claim 2 wherein B is ethylene.

5. The compound of claim 2 wherein B is trimethylene.

6. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is methyl, A is the radical -CH=CH and B is ethylene.

7. The compound of claim 1 wherein A is the radical CH=CH, B is ethylene, and R ortho to the ester group is methyl and the other R is hydrogen.

8. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is hydrogen, A is the radical -CH CH and B is ethylene.

9. The compound of claim 1 wherein B is 1,2-propylene, A is the radical -CH=CH, the R para to the ester group is methyl and the other R is hydrogen.

10. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 2.

11. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 4.

12. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 5.

13. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 6.

14. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 7.

15. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 8.

16. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of claim 9.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,051 7/1958 Brian et a1. 992

OTHER REFERENCES Stob et al.: Nature, vol. 196, page 1318, December 29, 1962, QI N2.

A. LOUIS MONACELL, Primary Examiner. 

3. AN ANIMAL FEED COMPRISING A NUTRITIONAL DILUENT AND GROWTH PROMOTING AMOUNTS OF THE COMPOUND OF CLAIM
 1. 